Auto tail lamp  and signal



July. 24, 192-3. Re. 15,661

c. STERN ET AL AUTO TAIL LA P AND SIGNAL 'origi nal File'd Nov. 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 as s q-O 1 2345? 40 July 24, 1923.

c. STERN ET Al.

AUTO TAIL LAMP AND SIGNAL Original Filed Nov. 5. 1917 2 She ets$heet 2 Reissued July 24, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STERN AND GEORGE E. EGAN,- or J SE crrv, NEW JERSEY.

AUTO TAIL LAMP Ann SIGNAL.

Original No. 1,286,825, data To all whom itmay ooncem 7 Be it known that CHARLES STERN and GEORGE F. EGAN, citizens of the. United States, residing at ersey City, in the county of Hudson andState of ew Jersey,

have invented newand useful Improvements in Auto Tail Lamps and Signals of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined tail light and signal which is particularly adapted for use upon motor vehicles such as automobiles and the like. I

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combined light and-signal for a vehicle of this character which is so 'constructed that not only will the license number of the machine and indicia upon tags connected therewith be rendered visible at a considerable distance, but the signal portion of the device may be operated from the drivers seat to indicate the following machines the operators intentions relative to stopping or changing the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide operating means for the signal portion of the device which may be connected with the steering post f the machine to which the device is applied thereby obviating the necessity of the operator of the vehicle re leasing his hold upon the steering wheel when desiring to indicate to following vehicles his intentions regarding the stopping or changing the direction of travel of his machine.

i 3 A further object of the invention is.to provide operating mechanism for the signal portion of the device which will include means whereby after the signal portion of the device has beenturned to indicate the operators intentions relative to stopping or turning his machine, the signal portion of the device maybe automatically restored to its normal position.

With these "and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter described and particularly point-- ed out in the claims.

The preferred embodiment of the-invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although no restriction is necessarily made to the precise details of construction therein shown, as changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope December '3, 1918, Serial No. 200,133, filed November 3, .1917. Application for reissue filed April 21, 1920. Serial No. 375,641.

of the claims may be resortedto when de-- the same mounted at the rear of an auto mobile.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through 'the combined tail light and signal.

Fig. 4 is a sectionon the line of.

Fig. 3. i Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5+5 of Fig. 3. I

Fig. is a detail view ofa portion of the operating mechanismj for the signal por-. 'tion of the device.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the operating mechanism for the signal portion of the device andshowing the same connected with the steering post of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of Fig. 7.-

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of a slightly modified form of the operating mechanism of the, signal portion of the combined tail light and signal.

Fig. 11, is a detail view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 12, is a section on the line 12-,12 of Fig. 11. v

views in the drawings.

Referring nowto the drawings in detail the letter A designates the rear portion of a motor vehicle and which in this instance has been shown as a portion of an automobile to which is applied a combined tail light and signal 13 constructed in accordance with the invention.

The device B which is adapted to serve as a visual signal and also as means operable from the drivers seat to indicatefthe drivers intentions relative to the stopping or changing the direction of travel of his machine includes a yoke wherein the con.- necting bar 10 for the arms 11 and 12 of the yoke is secured to they back of the body A in any suitable manner.

A. lamp casing 13 is fixed to the arm 11 of the yoke and is provided with an open front and bottom. The rear wall 1401 the casing 13 extends a considerable distance below the open bottom of the casing to permit a tag 15 hearing the license number boxing 38.

of the machine to be connected therewith and coacts with the flange 16 on the side walls 18 and 17 of the casing in providing a channel 19 through which light within the casing 13 may be directed upon the tag.

Slidably connected with the side walls 17 and 18 of the lamp casing and closing the bottom thereof is an oil lamp 19 in which is formed a socket for an electric bulb 20 connected with wires 21 included in the lighting system of the automobile. A hollow shaft 22 opens out into the casing 13 through the side wall 18 thereof and has formed therein a longitudinally extending opening 23 and into this shaft, light from the lamps 19 and 20 is reflected by a reflector 24on the wall 17 of the lamp casing. The outer end of the shaft 22 is closed by a wall 25 on which is mounted a reflector 26 and a bearing stud 27.

The shaft 22 extends within an indicator casing 28 which is of pentagonal shape in cross section and has the end walls 29 and 30 thereof engaged with bearing balls arranged in race ways in the shaft 22 and stud 27. Removably mounted in each side of the indicator casing 28 is a panel and these panels which are designated in the drawings by the numerals 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 have printed thereon in transparent letters suitable indicia by means of which the operator of the vehicle may indicate to a following machine his intentions relative to the stopping or changing the direction of travel of his vehicle.

In the drawings the panel 31 has printed thereon in transparent letters the license number of the machine while the panels 32 and 33 have printed thereon the words Left and Right and the panels 34 and 35 have printed thereon the words Stop and Slowfl so that by turning the casing 28 upon the shaft 22 the lettering-upon either of the panels 32, 33, 34 or 35 may be clearly seen by the operator of the vehicle following'the machine to which the combined tail light and signal is applied.

The end wall 30 in the casing 28 has formed thereon a stub shaft 36 which is mounted to turn in a boxing 38 on'the arm 12 of the vyokeand has formed therefrom a guide 38' in which is mounted to slide a rack bar 39 which is engaged with a pinion 40 on the stub shaft 36.

' The rack bar 39 which comprises a part of the operating mechanism of the indicat ing portion of the combined tail light and signal is yieldably held against the sliding movement in the guide 38 by a spring 41 which is connectcd'with the rack bar and The guide 38 and rackbar 39 are so arranged that when the spring 41 moves the rack bar to the limit of its movement the panel 31 of the casing 28 is in a plane parallel with the front of the casing 13, which is the normal position of the parts. Adjustably connected with the rack bar 39 by a turn buckle 42 is a cable 43 which is trained over pulleys 44 on the body A and leads to the steering post 45 of the automobile. The steering post 45 has fixed thereto a casing 46'through which the cable 43 passes for a portion of its length. The casing 46 is provided with a rack 47 with which is swingingly connected a lever 48- connected with the cable 43.

Through the above described manner of connecting the cable 43 with the lever 48 it will be seen with reference to the drawings that when the operator of the machine to which the combined tail and signal light is applied desires to indicate to a following vehicle his intentions relative to the stopping or changing the direction of travel of his machine he can through the operation of the' lever 48 turn the casing 28 until the desired panel therein is exposed to the view of the operator of th following machine.

After the operator of the vehicle following the one to which the combined tail light and signal. is attached has been notified of the drivers intentions on the forward machine the lever 48 is released from engagement with the rack 47 to permit the spring 41, to restore the lever 48, and the casing 28, to their normal position.

In Figs. 9 and 10, in the drawings, the casing 46, on the steering post 45, of the machine is shown as having associated therewith drum 49, provided with an operating handle 50, by means of which the cable 43, may be wound about upon the drum to turn the casing 28, on the shaft 22. The drum 49, is provided with a ratchet wheel 51, which is engaged by a spring pressed thumb piece 52, by means of which the drum may be locked against rotation.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 11 and 12, of the drawing, the shaft 36, on which the casing 28, is mounted, is provided with a pinion 55, which meshes with a rack segment 56. This seg-' ment is supported for rocking movement at 57, from a bracket arm 58, and below the pivot the segment is provided with an arm 59, to which an actuating connection 60, is arranged. This connection is adapted to be extended to the controlling device hereinbefore described in order that pull can be exerted against the connection and rocking motion transmitted to the segment 56, and rotary motion set up in the pinion 55, to cause one of the display panels thereof, to be operatively presented in display position. In order that the casing 28, can be held normally in a license number displaying position, a spring 61 is coiled about the pivot 57, and operatively connected with the seg ment so that the center thereof is normally positioned beneath the center of the pinion.

The'same movements can be imparted to the connection 60, as are imparted to the flexible connection described elsewhere herein in order that all of the requisite changes in position of the casing 28, can be made.

What is "claimed is: 1. A signal comprising a'tube in connection, with a source of light and having a slotted side wall, means to support the tube atone end through which the light is received, a relatively short stud projecting from the other end of the tube, a panelbearing drum enveloping the tube and rotatable thereabout with its end adjoining the stud provided with a socket; to receive the stud, said drum itself carrying a trunnion also comparatively short and independent of the stud, a bearing to support the trunnion, and means on the side of the bearing away from the drum having connection to the trunnion for rotating the drum.

2. A signal comprising a tube-incommunication at one end with a source oflight and having a slot therein, a paneled drum with signals displayed on the panels en veloping the tube, a bearing on a motor ve- "hicle, said drum having means to rotatably support it in the bearing said tube in turn having means distinct from and dis associ-,

ated with said first means for supporting an end of the tube in the drum while permitting of the free rotation of the drum, and mechanical means biased to an initial position for selectively rotating said drum through the first named means.

3. A signalling device for vehicles comprising a support on the vehicle, a lamp attached to one end of the support, theother end of the support having a bearing, a tube leading laterally from the lamp having a slot therein and a closed outer end with a stud projecting therefrom, a drum having translucent panels enveloping the tube with one end journaled rotatably on the tube near the l-amp, the end ofthe drum having a socket to receive the stud, said'drum having a trunnion projecting outwardly therefromfin axial alinement with'thestud, said trunnion fitted in the bearing on the support, and means associated with said bearing and trunnion forfselectively rotating the rum 4:. A vehicle signalicomprising support-I ing means on the vehicle, a lamp held at one side of the supporting means,'a tube extending in alinement with the lamp and having a slot therein, a studprojecting from the end of the tube remote from the lamp, a casing rotatably fitted about saidtube and having one end journaled on the tube and the other end provided with an axial socket engaged with said stud, said last-mentioned end of the casing; also formed with a trunnion in alinement with the stud journaled in the other side of the support, a pinion on the outer end of the'trunnion, a guide carried by said sup-port, a rack barslidable in the guide in mesh with said pinion, a flexiible connection coupled to said rack bar, and yieldable means for holding the rack bar in an initial position. 3

CHARLES STERN. 1 GEORGE F.- EGAN. 

